ManpowerGroup Reveals Why Leading in the Human Age Requires New Approaches to the World of Work

ManpowerGroup Reveals Why Leading in the Human Age Requires New Approaches to the World of Work at World Economic Forum

ManpowerGroup Publishes Paper with Recommendations for Building the Human Age Corporation in the Face of Certain Uncertainty

ManpowerGroup has shared its annual analysis of the macro-economic forces evolving the world of work. "Leading in the Human Age: Why An Era of Certain Uncertainty Requires New Approaches to the World of Work," outlines how companies can reinvent themselves as flexible and adaptable Human Age Corporations in response to chronic unpredictability.

Since ManpowerGroup's announcement of the Human Age — a complex era where talent, as capital once was, is a key driver of economic growth — at the 2011 WEF Annual Meeting, the forces evolving this volatile age are growing more intertwined, pushing and pulling in different directions until they become impossible to separate, much like a Gordian Knot. As the Human Age is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable, companies must prepare for one certainty — uncertainty.

"In a world where economic, political and social turmoil are creating an era of uncertainty, companies' flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to new market conditions is crucial," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup President. "With talentism now a dominant economic catalyst, a company's strategies, processes and solutions to navigate risk must start with its people. Only by unleashing and leveraging human potential will a nation or corporation successfully navigate these unpredictable challenges."

Below are ManpowerGroup's 10 Principles for Building the Human Age Corporation, allowing companies to respond quickly to fluctuating market forces and outpace competitors:

Principles for Building the Human Age Corporation

What we used to do . . .

What we should now do. . .

Rigid, long-term business models, strategies, plans

Create a set of core principles of execution which are flexible and adaptable to uncertainty

Siloed business and workforce strategies

Align workforce strategy to business goals

Segmentation of markets by geography

Segmentation of markets based on similarities, despite geography

Technology to help processes

Technology to drive growth and productivity

Society based vertical hierarchy structure

Develop a "community" based horizontal hierarchy system

Manage teams based on business goals alone

Develop augmented managers to play a wider role in developing growth, coaching teams and individuals

Leaders direct from the top in isolation

Leaders should work collaboratively to drive performance

Train individuals for the role they are currently in

Train individuals for the role they will likely take in the future

Find talent where the work is

Take work to where the talent is

Capitalism directs the company

Use Talentism to direct the company

As the Human Age ecosystem continues to evolve, the forces shaping world of work trends are as follows:

Redefining Market Segmentation: World economic power continues to shift considerably South and East, with 70% of gross domestic product (GDP) growth between now and 2020 projected to come from emerging markets. The resegmentation of society is also evident in new "bubbles" of society, with socio-economic classes increasingly varied as individuals now easily bond over common ideas, ideologies and opinions across borders via media and technology. Companies need to consider how "bubblization" has weakened traditional socio-economic classes and leverage social frameworks to drive results from their people.

Economic Evolution — Materialization of Great Inversions: The global skills mismatch is inspiring the emergence of a second economy, as jobs have been lost more via technological progress than by delocalization. Stemming from this is a third economy where this loss of jobs results in a need for new skills. For example, production line jobs may be lost to automated alternatives but this may, in turn, create increased demand for technicians to design and service machines. Companies will be challenged to plan for these shifts and ensure their talent pipeline is prepared to cope with the different skills required.

Technological Evolution — Shifting Sands Accelerate: Technology continues to be a major agent of change in terms of economy, society, culture and work, presenting myriad opportunities and scope to transform current work models. For example, personalized apps that allow employers to communicate tailored information to individual employees could revolutionize employee engagement, bringing employees together and allowing them to interact more widely across large organizations.

Certain Uncertainty: Periods of chronic uncertainty demand concerted action, based on strong fundamental principles to lead by. Yet governments, individuals and companies often react defensively and irrationally to uncertainty or are simply paralyzed by it. As a result, employee engagement can drop off and with it productivity will as well. As companies struggle to adapt to the Human Age and the Gordian Knot of forces creating such uncertainty, companies will require new leadership models, people practices, talent sources and also develop their internal systems, culture, engagement and training.